Small Tornado Strikes North Rutherford

SMYRNA, Tenn. (AP) — The National Weather Service says an EF-0 tornado did touch down near Smyrna yesterday afternoon, causing some property damage but no injuries or deaths.

The tornado had relatively low wind speeds of between 80 and 85 miles per hour. That didn't stop it from overturning a recreational vehicle, uprooting trees and seriously damaging the roof of a house.

Weather Service Meteorologist Jim Moser, in Nashville, says the tornado touched down about 4 miles northeast of Smyrna on North Lamar Road. Its path was just under 2 miles long and 125 yards wide at its widest point.

The Weather Service is in the process of installing an enhance radar system that will allow forecasters to actually see the debris kicked into the air by a tornado and so give earlier warning to communities in the twisters path.